Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-15
THE sHEtLF1sH oommfss1oN.

The Legislative Committee on Fisher.
 ies to Report Unfavorably on the
 Bills, Petitions, etc., Abolfshifig the
 CommisstOn-The Vote Stands to g.
 The Report to be Made Next Week
 A Lively Contest Awaiting the Report
 In the HOuse-The Possible Result
 Much Interest Manifested.
 HARTFORD, April IA, 1887.
 Special to the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.l
 The committee on fisheries have held sev- eral executive sessions within the past two weeks on the bills and petitions abolishing the shell fish commission. The last session was held to-day when the vote was taken. It stood ' to against the abolition of the commission. The report to the House will not be made probably until next week, as it takes few days to make it up.
 There were dozen or more bills, remon- strances and petitions asking for the abolish ing of the commission presented early in the session. They were in due course of time referred to the fisheries committee and 8 hearing was assigned. It was at first given out that the members of the commission were not going to make any opposition, but when the matter came before the fisheries committee there was decided opposition. Mr. Henry C. Rowe, who was in favor ot | the abolition, one of the prlnelpal | opponents to the commission. Attorneys were retained on both sides and the fight, which was one of the most exciting and pro- tracted of the session, was begun. The Hon. | Lynde Harrison and John W. filling, of New Haven, appeared for the petitioners, and At | torneys Maltby and Tibbits, of Hartford, appeared for the commission. The petition ers witnesses were heard first. It took seve- l ral meetings of the committee to hear them. Attorney Maltby then put on witnesses in opposition. Nearly all the prominent oyster men in the State gave testimony on either side. Many oystermen in Fair Haven and | Oyster Point were resent at all the hearings. Among those who opposed from those towns l were from Fair Haven the Messrs. Mansfield, Caleb L. Luddington, Luzerne Luddington, and from Oyster Point Messrs. Smith and Rowland. The petitions of remonstrance were signed by large number of oystermen, but the report of the committee seems to justify the modern adage that petitions don't amount to much.
 The testimony taken pro and con would, if printed, fill paper three times the size of the COURIER It was in substance printed after each hearing in the COURIER. The last person examined was Commissioner Pike, chairman of the committee, who testi- fled as to the work done by the commission and the work still remaining uncompleted. The commission was appointed ln 1851, when there had been serious disputes be tween the two great classes of oystermen ln the State, those who worked on the natural beds, and those who cultivated private grounds After long and exhaustive legls lative investigation the law of 1881 was passed as the one msot acceptable to all parties ln- terested. The burden of carrying this law into effect was imposed upon the fish com missioners.
 Commissioner Pike challenged the most rigid scrutiny into the acts of the commis- sioners.
 . In the testimony brought out it was shown that no officers in the employ of the State have had such varied and important duties to discharge as he commissioners have had for the past six years.
 The main petition which was circulated among the oyster growers, and on which the hearing took place, reads as follows:
 We the undersigned, citizens and taxpayers in various towns in this State, and more or less inter that the available ground for oyster cutva- tion has been substantially disposed of that there board of shell fish commissioners; that the work remaining to be done by the State is Of such char executive officer with far less expense to the State hsp at @ % %s 1 S and expenses of the commissioners have been S6,-
 Wher, fore your petitioners pray for the passage of such laws will lessen the of the State in the matter in question and as shall be just and reasonable.
 The arguments made on the matter at the close of the hearing were very able on both sides.
 The decision of the committee for the past few weeks has been awaited with as much if not more interest than any matter that has been before legislative committee this sea- son. It was given out by the opposition to the abolishing that if the petitions were re- ported favorably the matter would be fought with renewed energy in the House.
 The decision of the committee will be read with great interest by all persons engaged in oyster culture in the State as published exclusively by the COURIER. What. will be the fate of the petitions of abolition when they reach the House is of course matter of conjecture. Several representatives were seen this afternoon and they expressed them selves as being strongly in favor of the com mission being retained. There will undoubt- edly be hot contest over the unfavorable re- port of the committee when it is made.